Panel construction including electrical connectors

Abstract

A modular panel wall system having connectable prewired electrical harnesses in panel top raceways and transition connectors coupling the electrical lines across connecting posts on which the panels are mounted. The transition connectors conceal the wiring in panel junctions. The panels are removably joined at a post. In order to disconnect the panels from the post, the transition couplings extending between the panels must be removed for safety. Lower raceways of the panels have openings into which receptacles for electrical power can easily be inserted, and wires are transferred within a vertical member from the top raceway to the bottom. The receptacles are isolated from the main lower raceways to permit the lower raceways to be used for communication wiring.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In combination with a pair of movable wall partitions, an assembly for shielding electrical wiring harnesses for passing from one movable wall partition to the other at the top of the junction region of the movable wall partitions, the movable partitions including metal channels forming electrical raceways along the top longitudinal length thereof and support members for coupling adjacent movable wall panels together, said assembly being separate from the support members and comprising a first generally cylindrical member adapted to be positioned with its center substantially centered between the movable partitions, at least one additional generally cylindrical member rotatably mounted on the first mentioned cylindrical member for rotation relative thereto, a pair of panel insert members having portions adapted to fit within end portions of raceways of any movable partition with which the assembly is used, means to removably couple each of said panel insert members to one of the generally cylindrical members whereby each of the panel insert members can be rotated with one of the general cylindrical members relative to each other when installed on movable partitions, electrical wire means mounted in said raceways, said electrical wire means including connectors at opposite ends thereof adjacent the opposite sides of the respective partitions, and each connector having a ground wire connection with a ground wire attached thereto, and the ground wires from the opposite end connectors being connected to the associated metal channel raceway adjacent the respective ends of the associated raceway to ground the raceway and retain the connectors adjacent the respective ends of the raceway, and electrical harness means mounted within said panel insert members and traversing across and within the generally cylindrical members, said harness means including harness electrical connectors coupled to first mentioned connectors of the respective wire means in the adjoining movable wall partitions. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 and a metal cover overlying the portion of the raceway channel of each panel adjacent the connector members by the respective sides of the partition, means on said channel providing an inwardly extending flange along the sides of the channel, and means on said metal cover to receive said flange and being slidably mounted thereon so that said metal covers can be slid from a position overlying said connectors to a position clearing said connectors. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 and a plastic cover mounted on said flanges of the channel and extending along the major portion of said raceway, and means adjacent the ends of said plastic cover to releasably retain the metal covers in position adjacent the ends of the raceways. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said panel insert members have surfaces to engage a portion of the metal cover when the metal cover is positioned adjacent the respective ends of the raceway, said metal cover thereby preventing said panel insert members from being removed from the raceways when the metal covers are in position. 
     
     
       5. In combination with first and second movable partitions having longitudinal electrical wiring raceways, the improvement comprising a transition assembly shielding electrical wiring harnesses passing between the movable partitions, including means to support the partitions adjacent each other, the raceways of each partition having wiring harnesses therein with connectors adjacent the ends thereof, said transition assembly comprising a pair of panel insert end members fitting within end portions of the raceway of the respective movable partitions, a coupling assembly joining the panel insert members including means attached to each of the panel insert members forming a first generally cylindrical member having an annular edge lip, and a split band having a complimentary annular groove to receive the lip of the first cylindrical member to rotatably mount the first cylindrical member relative to the split band. 
     
     
       6. The combination of claim 5 including means joining the first and second movable partitions together and spaced between the partitions, said means joining including a post and clip members that are removably fastened between the post and the movable partitions, said transition assembly overlying the clip members at the upper side of the movable partitions to prevent releasing the clip members until the transition assembly and panel insert members have been removed from the adjacent movable partitions. 
     
     
       7. The combination of claim 5 and a lower frame member on at least one of said partitions, said lower frame member comprising a channel having side walls and being open toward the bottom of the partition, an opening of size to receive an electrical outlet defined in one side wall of the channel adjacent one end, electrical wiring means extending from the upper raceway of that partition to the lower frame member, and a bracket having a first leg positioned between the side walls of the channel below the opening in the side wall, said bracket having a second leg extending upwardly to the top of the channel adjacent the opening but spaced beyond the opening from the one end of the lower frame member. 
     
     
       8. The combination of claim 7 and a support foot member for one partition, means to clamp the support foot member to the lower frame member and simultaneously clamp the bracket in position in the channel. 
     
     
       9. The combination of claim 8 and post means between the movable partitions, said post means being adjacent the one end of the lower frame member to block off the one end of the channel. 
     
     
       10. An electrified arrangement for providing electrical power to a plurality of movable panels having longitudinally extending electrical wiring raceways thereon and having electrical wiring harnesses with electrical connectors at opposite ends, the electrical connectors including a first type which electrically connects only with a second different type of connector, the wiring harnesses of a first panel having connectors of only the first type adjacent the ends thereof, the wiring harnesses of each second panel having a connector of the first type at one end thereof and a connector of the second type connected to the opposite end thereof, and at least one wiring harness coupling assembly having an input branch and at least one output branch, the input branch having a connector of the second type at one end thereof and each output branch having a connector of the first type whereby the input branch may be connected only to the ends of wiring harnesses having the first type of connector, said first panel having a power cord fixedly connected to one of the first connectors, the power cord having one end adapted for connection to a power source. 
     
     
       11. An assembly for shielding electrical wiring harnesses for passing from one movable wall partition to another at the top of the junction region of the movable wall partitions, wherein the movable partitions include electrical raceways along one edge thereof, comprising a first generally cylindrical member adapted to be positioned with its center substantially centered between the movable partitions, a second generally cylindrical member, means to rotatably mount the first and second cylindrical members for rotation relative to each other including a third generally cylindrical member comprising a ring generally coaxial with and positioned between the first and second generally cylindrical members and which ring has an axially extending split which can be separated to expand the ring from a basic size generally equal to the size of the first and second generally cylindrical members, annular cooperating tongue and groove means between the adjacent edges of said first and third and third and second cylindrical members, respectively, a pair of panel insert members having portions adapted to fit within end portions of raceways of movable wall partitions with which the assembly is to be used, means to removably couple a first of said panel insert members to the first generally cylindrical member and to removably couple a second of the panel insert members to the second of the generally cylindrical members, whereby each of the panel insert members can be rotated with an associated one of the general cylindrical members relative to each other when installed on movable partitions, said third generally cylindrical member having means coupled to one of the panel insert members to hold the third generally cylindrical member from separating from the basic size when the cooperating tongue and groove members of the first, second and third generally cylindrical members are engaged, and electrical harness means mounted within said panel insert members and traversing across and within the general cylindrical members. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the third cylindrical member has a pair of generally radially extending ears on opposite sides of the splits, the panel insert member connected to the third cylindrical member having receptacles spaced to receive the ears on the third cylindrical member and to retain the third cylindrical member at its basic size with the tongue and groove means between the cylindrical members engaged. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of the generally cylindrical members has a pair of generally radially extending ears, the ears on the third cylindrical member being along the edges of the split, said panel insert members having grooves defining receptacles to receive said ears, said ears and grooves forming the means to couple the panel insert members to the cylindrical members. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the ears of the first and second cylindrical members are coupled to different panel insert members, the tongue and groove means permitting the panel insert members to pivot relative to each other.